黑料社

Opposition lawmaker Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Thursday chided Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez for seemingly backing out of his threat to strip lawmakers who voted against the death penalty bill of key positions in the House of Representatives.

Alvarez responded that he was not backing out of his threat.

Lagman in a statement said lawmakers would no longer be intimidated by Alvarez鈥檚 empty threats now that the latter backed out from stripping anti-death penalty lawmakers of their leadership and committee positions.

鈥淎fter frightening and pressuring the fainthearted and ambivalent Representatives to vote for the reimposition of the death penalty, Alvarez has reportedly desisted from executing his oft-repeated threat of reprisal,鈥� Lagman said.

Alvarez鈥檚 threat against those who would not vote for House Bill 4727 seeking to reimpose capital punishment turned out to be a 鈥渄ud鈥� meant to scare lawmakers who 鈥渓ack courage鈥� to defy the Speaker, Lagman said.

鈥淭he threat of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to oust those who would vote against the death penalty bill from their key leadership positions has turned out to be a mere scheming braggadocio,鈥� Lagman said.

鈥淲ho would be intimidated next time around by a leader who wields a dud?鈥� he added.

Lagman said the House leadership failed to intimidate the 54 lawmakers voting against the death penalty bill ready to face the ire of the House leadership.

Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo, a deputy speaker, led the lawmakers ready to sacrifice their posts to vote against the death penalty, which was abolished in 2006 during her term as president.

鈥淭he House leadership knew beforehand that the Speaker鈥檚 intimidation and pressure could not prevent committed anti-death penalty advocates in voting against against H.B. No. 4727 as they were ready to suffer the adverse consequences of their conscience vote,鈥澛燣agman said.

Lagman also chided the 217 representatives who heeded the Speaker鈥檚 threat and who lacked the courage to defy the House leadership.

鈥淭he real targets of the Speaker鈥檚 intimidation were the more numerous members who lack courage and will to defy him,鈥� Lagman said.

鈥淣ow that the House leadership has achieved its objective of pressuring most of the majority coalition members to support the administration鈥檚 agenda, Alvarez has gone on a 鈥榖enevolent鈥� retreat,鈥� he added.

Asked for his reaction to Lagman鈥檚 鈥渂raggadocio鈥� tag on his threat, Alvarez in a text message said that鈥檚 鈥渢oo early to tell.鈥�

But asked if he does plan to desist from his threat, Alvarez replied in an all caps 鈥淣O.鈥�

Speaker Alvarez earlier threatened to strip lawmakers voting no to the death penalty of their committee positions and deputy speaker posts.

搁贰础顿:听Arroyo denies seeking Speaker post

The House of Representatives in a vote of 217 passed on final reading House Bill 4727 that seeks to restore the death penalty for drug-related offenses.

Fifty-four lawmakers voted against the bill.

Apart from Arroyo, some Makabayan lawmakers聽 stood to lose their chairmanships for voting against the death penalty. These include聽Act Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, who chairs the public information committee;聽Bayan聽Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate (natural resources), and Gabriela Rep. Emmi De Jesus (poverty alleviation).

搁贰础顿:听House approves death penalty bill with 217 yes votes

Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto, Quezon City Rep. Jose Christopher Belmonte, Dinagat Island Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine聽Sato聽were also expected to lose their key posts for voting no to the death penalty.

Santos-Recto chairs the聽civil service and professional regulation committee, Belmonte chairs the committee on land use, Bag-ao chairs the committee on people participation, while聽Sato聽is a member of the powerful Commission on Appointments.

搁贰础顿:听House leadership forces vote on聽death聽penalty

Other lawmakers who voted against the death penalty and were at risk of losing their committee chairpersonships are Sorsogon Rep. Evelina Escudero (mother of Senator Francis 鈥淐hiz鈥� Escudero) who chairs the committee on basic education and culture, Anak Mindanao Rep. Sitti Turabin-Hataman (wife of ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman) who chairs the committee on muslim affairs, and Buhay Rep. Mariano Michael Velarde (son of El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde) who chairs the overseas workers affairs committee.

Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad, the wife of former budget secretary Butch Abad, was absent from Tuesday鈥檚 voting. She chairs the committee on government reorganization.

Back for her last term as congresswoman after being detained for plunder over a charity funds mess during her presidency, Arroyo is the only deputy speaker who voted against the death penalty.

It was during her term when Congress abolished the death penalty in 2006.

The other deputy speakers voted yes to the death penalty. They are聽Taguig Rep. and former senator Pia Cayetano,聽Cebu Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia;聽Davao city Rep. Mylene Garcia-Albano;聽Aambis Owa Rep. Sharon Garin;聽Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu; Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro; Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo; Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya; Palawan Rep. Frederick Abueg; South Cotabato Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez; Negros Occidental Rep. Mercedes Alvarez; and Maguindanao Rep. Bai Sandra Sema.

Deputy speaker Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson did not vote because he was then the presiding speaker.

Under House rules, a聽deputy聽speaker聽is an ex-officio member of all House committees. The聽deputy聽speaker聽is the second highest official in the House of Representatives.

Former President Arroyo won a seat in the House as Pampanga congresswoman while in detention for plunder over the alleged misuse of P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office intelligence funds from 2008 to 2010.

Arroyo聽walked free at聽6:30 p.m.聽on July 22 last year, after the Supreme Court dismissed her plunder case. The High Court ruled that her approval of the P366 million intelligence fund releases were only ministerial and did not constitute an 鈥渙vert act鈥� to commit plunder. CBB/rga

搁贰础顿:听SC:聽Arroyo聽OK on fund release not overt act of plunder